A regular blog that keeps tabs on the activities and fortunes of our renowned Governor, Chris Christie.

Matt Katz, New Jersey Public Radio/WNYC

Political reporter Matt Katz is The Christie Tracker at WNYC.org. NJ Spotlight is hosting his blog and running his stories, which can also be heard on WNYC 93.9 FM and 820 AM, as well as New Jersey Public Radio: Trenton 88.1, Sussex 88.5, Netcong 89.3, and Toms River 90.3.

Bill Stepien, the former Chris Christie campaign manager who was fired in the wake of the Bridgegate scandal, will be the new political director in Donald Trump's White House. WNYC reported last month on the possibility of this appointment, which is remarkable given Stepien's role in the scandal that overtook the Christie Administration.

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering bringing to the White House a political operative with close ties to the Bridgegate scandal. Bill Stepien came of age in New Jersey politics alongside the three convicted Bridgegate felons before managing both of Chris Christie's gubernatorial campaigns.

Stepien was the national field director for Trump's presidential campaign and is now in line to become the White House political director, according to The New York Times. His hiring is being pushed by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is friends with long-time Stepien ally David Wildstein, the admitted Bridgegate lead conspirator.

Stepien also ran the legislative campaigns of convicted Bridgegate conspirator Bill Baroni, the former Port Authority deputy executive director. And Christie's attorneys alleged Stepien had a romantic relationship with the third person convicted in the scheme, Bridget Anne Kelly.

Gov. Chris Christie, who has already charged New Jersey $11.3 million for attorneys to represent his office in the federal Bridgegate investigation, has added legal representation for a related state criminal matter.

Craig Carpenito is earning $150-an-hour to defend Christie from a criminal complaint filed by a local activist in Bergen County. The complainant, Bill Brennan, alleges Christie engaged in official misconduct during Bridgegate, as evidenced by sworn testimony from David Wildstein, the admitted co-conspirator. Wildstein claims Christie knew about the dangerous lane closures.